Often sidelined in favor of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen was nonetheless an essential link in the Bulls in the ’90s. In 2010, Phil Jackson revealed the main asset that made number 33 a player apart.
The youngest basketball fans were sure to know the name of Michael Jordan. Some of them may never have heard Scottie Pippen’s. Thanks to The Last Dance, this defect is now fixed. The event docu-series, which obviously focused primarily on His Airness, made the general public realize the importance of its most famous lieutenant in the hegemony of the Bulls.
Because even if the program has resulted a cooling of the ties that unite the two former shock teammates, it had a very beneficial effect on the image of Pip ‘. The viewers were indeed able to see the sacrifices that the latter had been able to make for the good of his franchise, especially from a financial point of view.
Above all, they could realize or remember his obvious talent, and his offensive and defensive versatility rare in the history of the league. Indeed, despite this eternal label of “Robin” of the superhero Jordan, he remains for many as one of the best wingers to have ever occupied the ranks of the NBA.
One person in particular will not contradict this statement: Phil Jackson. The legendary Chicago coach had the honor of appreciating Pippen’s prowess on a daily basis for eleven seasons, first as an assistant, then as head coach. It was he who made him an irremovable holder when he took office in 1989.
And while his former protégé was about to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, during the summer of 2010, the Zen Master inevitably had nothing but compliments to give about him. For NBA.com, he thus revealed his greatest quality, which for a very long time made the happiness of the coaching staff of the Bulls.
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His knowledge of how to function in defense was his greatest strength. Scottie was the voice of the team – literally and figuratively, since he was often the one who spoke and kept the whole team on the same page.
When he was not martyring the opposing back that he had to score at the head of the racket, he was in the second curtain of our defense, leading his teammates during various situations, whether for two-man strikes. , hatches, or other important aspects. Considering that, he was really essential in the run we did.
The stats do offer a slight glimpse into a player’s defensive output, but none beats such a speech from legendary Phil Jackson. The latter, unlike the general public, was well aware of the immense benefits brought about by Pippen’s presence on the ground, and it is therefore only logical that he made him one of the basic men of his system.
In the same interview, the famous technician even goes so far as to suggest that, thanks to his understanding of the game and his tactical sense, the former number 33 would make an excellent coach. 10 years after this exit, the main interested party has still not followed this advice, but we are curious to know what he would give to the head of an NBA bench. After all, it is now available following his recent dismissal in the Bulls front office.
Find someone who speaks to you with the same admiration that Phil Jackson does about Scottie Pippen, and you’ve hit the jackpot.
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